Gate terms explained: the words on a gate quote and report

Every explanation below restates something already set out in GateHQ's guides, with a link to the page that covers it properly. Where this site cannot verify a figure or a requirement, the entry says so rather than filling the gap.

1. Leading edge
2. Safety edge
3. Photocell
4. Hinge gap
5. Drawing-in point
6. Control panel
7. Motor
8. Manual release
9. Intercom or keypad
10. Warning beacon

Safety parts

Safety edge

A rubber strip along the edge of a moving gate. It detects contact and cushions it. Fitting one is not the end of the job: it also needs correct wiring, position and testing. The regulations guide covers safety edges and photocells together.

Photocell

A beam sensor, usually low on a gate post, that reacts when something breaks the beam. HSE warns that an ordinary vehicle beam can be stepped over, so a photocell on its own does not make a gate safe. The safety check guide explains how detection is assessed.

Presence detection

Equipment that senses a person near the gate without being touched. One low beam does not cover the whole area the gate moves through. The force testing guide sets out three ways protection can be verified.

Warning beacon

A lamp fitted on or near the gate equipment. If your gate develops a fault, note what the beacon was doing from wherever you normally stand, because a repairer will ask.

The fault guide lists what to write down before you call anyone.

Force limitation

Setting the motor so it stops pushing beyond a set force. HSE says objective testing is needed where force limitation is the primary safety measure, which is what a force test does. You can compare companies listing gate force testing.

Hold-to-run

A control that only moves the gate while somebody keeps it pressed. It needs a suitable design and a clear view of the moving gate. The regulations guide explains where that approach fits.

Manual release

A key or lever that disconnects the gate from its motor so it can be moved by hand. Ask for a safe demonstration, and consider whether a released leaf could move on its own. The safety check guide covers switching off safely and freeing a trapped person.

Fixed guarding

A fence or cover that keeps people away from a moving part, such as the space a sliding gate runs back into. The regulations guide covers guarding alongside the other protective measures.

Measuring and testing

Force testing

Measuring the force a moving gate applies at chosen points, using an instrument. A pass does not prove the whole gate is safe. Read what a force test measures and what it leaves out, or find companies that list it.

Force tester

The instrument itself, sometimes called a force gauge. It has contact faces and a sensor that records the load, and the engineer has to position and support it. Pressing against the gate by hand cannot produce a valid result. See the equipment and its calibration.

Impact force

The changing force produced at the moment the gate first makes contact. Also called dynamic force. The force testing guide explains how it is recorded.

Clamping force

The load that remains if the gate keeps pressing after contact. Stopping the motor alone may still leave somebody held between the leaf and the post. The force testing guide covers impact and clamping force together.

Safety check

An examination of the gate's condition and a test of its protective functions. It is not the same job as a service. Read what a safety check should cover and what the report should say.

Service

Planned work that maintains the equipment. A maintenance invoice does not prove that a safety check or a risk assessment also happened. You can compare companies listing gate servicing.

Risk assessment

A consideration of who could be harmed by the gate and how those risks are controlled. The safety check guide explains how it differs from a service and a safety check.

The gate itself

Swing gate

A gate on hinges, in one leaf or two, that swings open. Gate type changes what a repair involves and what it costs, as the repair cost guide sets out.

Sliding gate

A gate that runs sideways across the opening instead of swinging. A sliding track and a swing hinge need different maintenance, which is one reason service intervals differ between gates.

Leading edge

The front edge of a moving gate, the part that reaches a person or a vehicle first. It is the obvious place to test, and the force testing guide explains why testing there alone is not enough.

Hinge gap

The narrowing space beside a swing gate's hinge as the gate moves. HSE warns that forces increase nearer the pivot, so a reading taken at the leading edge says nothing about the hinge end. See where a force test is taken.

Drawing-in point

A place where a moving gate passes a fixed part and can pull in clothing, a hand or a limb. The force testing guide covers how drawing-in points are protected.

Runback area

The strip of ground a sliding gate travels into as it opens. Fixed guarding can restrict access to it. The regulations guide covers guarding this area.

Control panel

The weatherproof box, normally on a post or a wall, holding the controller board, the wiring and the fuses. Keep its cover closed and leave inspection to an engineer. You can compare companies listing gate repairs.

Ram operator

A drive mounted beside a swing gate hinge, with an arm that extends and retracts to move the leaf. The repair cost guide compares above ground, underground and ram drives.

Underground motor

A drive for a swing gate housed in a pit at the hinge, with its cover at ground level. Getting to it can mean groundwork, which changes a repair quote. See what changes the price of a gate repair.

Intercom

The unit at the gate a caller speaks through to reach somebody inside. A fault can lie in the power, the cabling, the handset or the communication equipment. The repair cost guide gives a published range for intercom repair and replacement.

Keypad

A gate control with buttons for entering a code. Which control you used matters when you report a fault, because it helps separate a control problem from a wider one.

The fault guide explains what to tell a repair company about the control you used.

Paperwork

Declaration of Conformity

The document covering the finished gate installation. HSE's responsibilities guidance requires one, together with User Instructions in English. The regulations guide lists the paperwork you should already have.

Declaration of Incorporation

A document covering a part supplied on its own, such as an actuator arriving as partly completed machinery. It does not replace the finished gate's Declaration of Conformity. The regulations guide explains the difference.

User Instructions

The instructions for the completed gate system, in English. They should explain safe use, isolation, maintenance and checks. A motor manual on its own may leave out the hinges, the guarding and the site layout. The servicing guide explains how to use them to work out an interval.

Conformity marking

The mark on the machine, CE or UKCA. Ask the installer which route applies to your product and market. See what the machinery regulations require.

Log book

A record of what was done to the gate and what was found. The Door and Hardware Federation's 2017 leaflet for domestic owners recommends keeping one. You can compare companies listing maintenance contracts.

BS EN 12453 and BS EN 12445

Two British Standards named in discussions of powered gate safety. Both texts sit behind a paywall and GateHQ has not read either, so this site does not state what they require and cannot check claims made about them. The regulations guide explains what can and cannot be verified from standards.

Who is responsible

Duty holder

The person or organisation carrying health and safety duties for a gate at work, at a school, on a business park or in shared flats. HSE separates a private householder from a workplace duty holder. The servicing guide covers what the law actually requires in each setting.

Responsible Person

Whoever assembles a powered gate may become its manufacturer, also called the Responsible Person. That often includes converting existing manual gates to powered operation. See who counts as the manufacturer.

Competent person

Somebody with relevant training and experience for the particular work. Electrical qualifications alone do not demonstrate competence in mechanical gate hazards. Read how to choose someone competent, or browse the engineer directory.